Upholding Loyalty
by Abarraine
Summary: It was her job, her way of life now to hunt the crazed murderers. She knew the dangers, the secrets that lurked just below the surface waiting for that Freudian slip to expose them. And her. But now the peril was real. Someone had slipped.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing, just going off my own imagination. Everything is credited to Rowling, besides plot.

Hello. This is just basically a plot beginner. Tell me if you like it then I might continue. Warning note, this is AU. Enjoy and please **review**, it'd help me out a gazillion. Gracias. Abarraine. 2005

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The door slammed shut behind him and the lights flickered, crediting more to the ominous mood. Things were not good. In fact, the word 'good' couldn't even be used in the sentence it was that bad. Finally the worst of the worst was beginning. 

Lily slouched in her chair, head in her hands. She was exhausted and had a good reason to be. Lily was Head Unspeakable. She and four other highly trained individuals were given information that auror spies collected for them. Then through those bits of information and much calculation, they found the site or a close proximity of the next Death Eater attack or meeting. Cheerful business, eh? Basically narrowing Lily's job down, she had the whole of the ministry's auruor department on her back. She also held peoples' lives in her hands. Leaking information would be so drastic a risk, she'd slit her wrists then go to all the funerals that would occur.

When Gallagher, the Head auror, had slammed a newspaper on top of her paper-ladened desk she had turned her pale face up at him, frowning deeply, before reaching for the paper.

"Listen Lily," He had said, sighing deeply and rubbing his eyes. "I know you've been here since eleven last night and haven't had a chance to see this, so…" She glanced back at the paper, her tired eyes finally focusing on the bold, black letters. She comprehended the headline. A gasp echoed through the room. Lily looked back at Gallagher in shock.

"We've got trouble. They know who you are— who all the Unspeakables are."

"How could they possibly? We're under strict security." Her mouth finally forming words. Although, the direness of the situation had not quite set in.

"There was a leak." Gallagher said elusively. Lily's eyebrows shot up even higher, blood draining rapidly from her face. "Morlock." He finished.

Lily swore under her breath, eyes burning in rage. "But he wouldn't—"

"He was attacked." Lily's usually calm face turned sour, rage falling away. Was it his attack she was working on right now? But the clues just didn't add up. "This Afternoon in Chamberbrooks— but we were ready and waiting. They still got to him somehow."

"Bloody hell." He looked back at Lily with worried eyes. His forehead scrunched in several wrinkles.

"If they catch you, we've got no chance here at the ministry." He sighed.

"Gallagher, he knew about the attack at Chamberbrooks." Lily pressed.

"Wha'?"

"I found that attack site and shared it with everyone, well, us Unspeakables—" He waved it away. " Well, we always share. Then send the paper to you… and I remember him reading it over my shoulder."

"You suppose he's working for Voldemort?" Lily laid the paper down and grabbed her coffee. It was now about eight at night…what a long day.

"He's my friend and co-worker, I'd like to think not but—"

"But It'd be a good combination. He'd have your trust, _our_ trust, and the prized information." Gallagher pulled up a chair and leaned over Lily's desk, hands clasped.

"However, have there been times where our attack sites prove wrong?" Lily asked slowly, piecing things together mentally.

"Now and then."

"So then, Morlock could have posed as a decent Unspeakable, giving us faulty information to clear Voldemort's way to other slaughterings where we couldn't possibly catch him in time..." Lily drifted off. Then gaining a new thought, recited it aloud. "But then, as you say, Morlock could have been a random killing, since there's no way to pin him as an unspeakable. But why would he be in Chamberbrooks?" That one last thought echoed in her brain, hammering at her conscience.

However, it was pushed away.

"We have detectives on it, don't worry yourself out Lily. We need you to figure out the clues for us and stay alive. We'll take care of the rest. Hell, James'll keep you safe." Gallagher slammed his hands onto the table, jolting Lily, and stood up. She could tell he was trying to keep a light atmosphere around for her. Until all the information clicked in her mind and she became paranoid with fear.

"Is Morlock dead?" Lily sought out, wanting just this piece of information. Gallagher's face twisted, almost as if fighting a mental battle.

"He wasn't when we found him, he was beat up real good, but nothing he couldn't come out of." Gallagher scratched his chin.

"He wasn't... do you mean...?" Lily perused, tying not to imagine the horrendous disaster this could cause for the entire Wizarding world.

"He killed himself."

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Thanks for reading, please give me a review… creative critism, possibly more ideas... Thanks! 


	2. Insulted

**Disclaimer:** I'm about to play a soccer game, so I don't really have the time to write the entire HP series... meaning, I don't own anything except Gallanger and Morlock.

Tell me what you think, I just wrote it this afternoon while listening to my spanish cd... sry, nothing really correlates. I also do not have an editor/beta so please excuse my english mechanics, they are horrible :)

Please Review, gives me hope! Abarraine.28 June 2005.

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**Calculations:**_Insulted_

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_Dead. He's dead? _Shock didn't even justify the word Lily Evans felt at the moment. She was appalled, shaken, petrified, and insulted. Insulted at the fact that Morlock could have double-played her so easily. Stabbed her in the back after their years of having a trusting friendship built solely on relying on each other. 

Gallanger had left just minutes prior and Lily could barely comprehend what he'd said, what they had discussed. The horrific happenings that could take place if Morlock had really leaked all their known information as supposed.

Lily leaned back, head in hands, trying to step in Morlock's frame of mind. _It's all we've got now—I need to dig through all I know of him and battle Voldemort from the inside out._ Sighing, she stood up and opened the file cabinet next to the window. The sun had set a few hours ago, creating a dark ominous night. Normally Lily relished the night, opening the window to hear the faint sounds of traffic and feel the cool breeze. But tonight, she was scared to even stand next to the open window, everything had changed now. She was a walking target—no, not only her, her fellow unspeakables, her friends, her family, James...

She flicked open the cabinet and delved into the files, easily flicking past the irrelevant ones until she came upon Morlock, Ehren. Sliding it carefully out, she laid it on her desk, after shoving her other papers into a slapdash pile and sliding them onto the hardwood floor. Laying the thick file on her desk, she took a deep breath, closing her eyes before opening it.

Inside held several reports on Morlock and pictures of him, mostly profiles of Morlock, all telling the same thing—his age, height, weight, blood status, family background. Lily glanced at his pictures, starting from his most recent to the most dated, some fifteen years ago. Catching a minor difference between them she looked closer at the photos, it wasn't his maturity progressing through the pictures that struck her as odd, but the expression he wore, the look in his eyes. His recent ones possessed a kind of suppressment of anger, agitation.

It was almost horrifying to look at. His eyes looked alive, but then, she supposed they were because it was a wizarding picture. However many years Lily had been in the wizarding world, she still found all their photographs to be completely unbelievable.

Ehren Morlock was slightly moving in his picture, his doe-like hair flopped casually onto his forehead and his high cheekbones stuck out, showing his elegant nature. However, he seemed twitchy as If he wasn't quite sure that the camera didn't, in fact, steal your soul as so many African tribes' superstitions believed. No, Lily thought, he was nervous about being around people he was hoping to kill through passing all their trusted information to the Dark Lord. It was completely normal, the twitchiness, the aggravation of being surrounded by people he had once loved and now was betraying.

_Why didn't I see this? His whole nature is different. _Tired and a bit frightened, although not about to show it, Lily grabbed her cooling coffee and once more glanced at the clock—almost midnight. This was insane, she'd been up for twenty-five hours. She couldn't go on like this, she was tired of being sleep deprived, she never did good, quality work when all she had to keep her going was coffee. Not to mention James would be annoyed as always. He was always worrying about her health. A very probable thing to do as she hardly ever go a good night's sleep or a decent meal.

She grinned thinking about her fiancée. James was an auror for the Ministry of Magic, he and Lily worked almost hand in hand with mission, however he was the one that was in the most danger—fighting in the battles and crashing Death Eater meetings (capturing several prominent Death Eaters) from the whereabouts Lily and her team determined from their pile of facts.

He was most likely safe in bed after a long day of training. Hopefully he wasn't waiting for her at her apartment. But then, she hoped he was just so she could see his face and know for sure that he was all right; safe and sound.

He flooded over to her office at dinner earlier, trying to force her to come home. But she wouldn't push over, she couldn't, she was right in the middle of cracking one more Death Eater attack. So James had pulled up a chair, unwrapped his hamburger, and hers, grabbed two ice cold butterbeers, and took her useless right hand—as her left was busy writing— gently in his hands and delicately kissed her fingertips. Lily's blush matched her hair as she tried to hide her grin by turning her head.

"Lily, you know how much I love you?" he asked in between his kisses. She looked into his hazel eyes and shook her head.

"No, tell me."

"I love you always and forever." James said softly coming around the desk to kneel beside her chair. She turned to face him and captured his head in her hands, running her small fingers through his disheveled black hair. His intoxicating face was barely two inches away, she could feel his breath lightly on her cheek. Finally closing the gap, James wrapped his arms around her waist and drug her out of her seat into his lap on the floor. Hamburgers and butterbeer long forgotten.

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Lily jumped in her seat, she'd dozed off. Sighing deeply again, she closed Morlock's file and stuffed it into her bag to take home. She'd follow up on this new situation in the morning when she was refreshed. Right now, all she wanted was to be warm in James Potter's arms. Safe from her fear for just a few hours with the one she loved. She could care less about how mushy it sounded.

Walking through the desolate halls, she couldn't help being paranoid as she passed each office. The moon shining dully on vacant desks. Papers rippling in the nonexistent breeze. She clutched her wand tightly in her left hand, knuckles white and palms sweaty. The only noise being her shoes and the swish of her cloak, her breathing stopped as did her movement. Becoming as still as a statue, Lily remembered that she wasn't wearing a cloak...

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Thanks for reading, **please give me reviews**… creative critism, possibly more ideas… anything works. Thanks! 


	3. Lilylivered

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing—I live in Iowa for heaven's sake! I do own anyone you don't recognize thought, like Morlock and Gallanger and the 'mystery' man.

I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I had so much fun writing it.

**Please Review,** gives me hope! Abarraine. 13 July 2005.

_Lily-livered_ means -- frightened, scared, etc. I thought it was fitting, plus really funny.

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**Calculations**: Lily-livered

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_The sound of her shoes and the swish of her cloak echoed in the empty corridors. Her breathing suddenly stopped, as did her movement. Becoming as still as a statue, Lily remembered that she wasn't wearing a cloak..._

Several things seemed to flash through Lily's lethargic mind. The first being the absolutely sane idea that she was indeed becoming batty with all the late nights and psychotic frequency of always glancing over her shoulder to make sure some enormous, dark wizard wasn't about to stab a knife in her back.

The next thought that echoed urgently was: _where is my sodding wand?_ And the third being the fear of said dark wizard and his intents.

Still unmoving, Lily squinted into the darkness behind her, listening sharply for the rustle of a cloak or clunk of a heavy shoe. Neither was seen, nor heard.

Loosening her joints from her frozen form, she tightened her grip on her slim wand and gradually turned in a circle, her keen eyes, now wide with terror, invading every crevice she could see in the immaculate darkness.

Knowing stealth was her only option if indeed some deranged soul was following her, she could not make a sound nor produce light from her wand. Having completed her three-sixty, Lily sighed deeply and admonished herself for being so easily frightened. The sigh was needed, as Lily had been holding her breath. The fire in her veins drained a bit as she realized how foolish she was being. With much less hesitation, she took small steps forward, towards the door that would lead her to downtown London, Birmingham, and finally to James' warm arms.

Swinging her bag over her shoulder, she quickly thought of stuffing her wand back into her pocket, but quickly pulled it out again as the fear still lingered in the back of her exhausted mind. _Constant vigilance_, Lily recalled Moody's monologues from her previous auror classes. Looking behind her shoulder once more into the blinding darkness, she couldn't help but feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. All her senses pleaded with her to keep moving, that she wasn't safe yet, however her mind was numb and wouldn't respond.

There was the swish of a cloak again. _That's twice now_, Lily panicked. She sprung around and saw what she assumed to be an outline of someone. The footsteps were no longer in her imagination. There definitely was a reverberating quality running along the floor.

Whipping around like a jackrabbit, delicately gripping her wand, she launching her body behind the nearest cubical and discarded her bag, heavy with files. She crouched down on her haunches, anticipating his coming.

The dark was blinding in this section of the Ministry; far from any outside window that streamed in moonlight. Lily trying to  
regulate her breathing. Sweat droplets formed on her pale forehead and she yearned her eyes to make out any shapes in the unlit corridor.

Before she knew it, her predator was upon her walking at a much slower pace—no doubt looking for where she had slipped away to. Lily held her breath as he stopped just a bit away from her cubical. She could hear his own heaving breaths and the rustle of his heavy wizarding cloak. Not daring enough to look beyond her wall at the man, she tried to place his movements. Her head throbbing, she tried to remain strong and remember all that she had been taught. Her first mission, besides incapacitating the person, she needed to know what he was doing this late at the ministry—in the Unspeakable wing, no less.

She was almost positive, she'd bet her life, that she was the only one left in this part of the building—so what was he doing? What was he after? Who was he after? and for heaven's sake, couldn't she have _one_ night of peace?

It was deathly quiet.

Suddenly, without any notice Lily felt a tickle form in her nose. Her eyes widened as she grabbed at her nose, trying to suppress the inevitable. _Oh sodding crap_. Gasping for air, eyes watering, Lily held her sneeze, haunched in her hiding place.

He wasn't moving.

She could barely see his shiny black shoes that represented a high class citizen—or a revered Death Eater—to whom she was dealing with. She was in complete agony, this was it; her demise was in the form of a bloody sneeze.

How impotent.

And the dam broke, the inevitable came. As Lily's deadly sneeze exploded, she jumped out of her makeshift rampart, and launched herself at the stalking wizard.

"Expelliarmus!" Lily shouted swiftly, while at the same time hearing, to her horror, the invader say the same incantation. Lily's wand flew out of her grip as did her predator's. He lunged for his wand, and she hers.

Wildly, Lily sprang towards the ground, all her effort focused on her prized piece of wood. Narrowly missing a purple laser of light, Lily groped for her wand, retrieving it and crawled behind the nearest trashcan. Heavy spells rained on her, but she kept herself hidden, waiting for him to make a mistake.

Obviously, he had more than one wand—how else had he recovered his wand so quickly when Lily, agility her major strength, had wasted no time in getting hers. Her breaths were ragged, but she managed to fire several stunning spells. The man was frantically dodging her spells, having no barrier to hide behind.

Without warning the man threw up his hands, dropping his wand and fell to his knees.

"I don't wish to fight! Please, have mercy! I was just startled... the dark... my mind... please!" He pleaded on his knees. Lily immediately ceased firing and stared at the man. Her headache raging. "Please..." He breathed.

Lily slowly stood from her crouched position, wand still out ("Constant vigilance"), and took a tentative step towards the kneeling man. It was completely silent, except for their heaving breaths.

"I... who are you?" Lily demanded, finally coming to her senses. He may have just been at the wrong place at the wrong time, but that still did not excuse his presence in the Department of Mysteries. He shifted slightly, but was stopped immediately when Lily stepped on his wand, capturing it from him. Awarding herself an inward smile, she examined the man in front of her. The man who had hindered her path to James.

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PLEASE REVIEW!

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I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing, I loved them all! Really and truly. 

Marauders Chick: Thank you for reading my stories! and not to worry, the beginning is a little elusive, but details come in time. You'll learn more about the attack at Diagon Alley and Morlocks suicide and confessions to the dark lord and much much more.

Catchy Pen Name: I know I sent you the 2nd rough draft of this and you haven't gotten it back to me yet, but I think I'll just post it now, I can't wait any longer! tell me what you think, hun! love ya!

Betsy: Here's that update!

Crystal Kisses: Isn't drama great?

hpever: haha, here's your update. I'm so glad you want to know more... I do too. lol.

Chris Erickson: of course it's inticing, I wrote it:)

**Please review. **


	4. May Angels Lead You In

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing—I live in Iowa for heaven's sake! I do own anyone you don't recognize though, like Morlock and Gallanger and the 'mystery' man.

I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I had **so** much fun writing it. **I realize that just _reviewing_ just after you read isn't a huge interest, but I would _sincerely appreciate_ if you just_ dropped a note _****telling me 'never to write again' or 'pack up, leave town, this crap sucks' or if you even enjoyed one small word in all the many.**I love reviews, can't get enough of them, so please, hand out a few. GRACIAS. oh, and thanks for reading that paragraph. ;)

**Please Review,** gives me hope! Abarraine. 25 August 2005.

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**Upholding Loyalty:** May Angels Lead You In

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_"I... who are you?" Lily demanded, finally coming to her senses. He may have just been at the wrong place at the wrong time, but that still did not excuse his presence in the Department of Mysteries. He shifted slightly, but was stopped immediately when Lily stepped on his wand, capturing it from him. Awarding herself an inward smile, she examined the man in front of her. The man who had hindered her path to James...

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_

Throwing her bag unceremoniously on her kitchen table, Lily sighed heavily. Running her hands roughly over her pale face, she tried to suppress the sleep settling into her bones. She feared it would permanently remain there. Her hair was hot on her neck as she stood there, leaning over the table with her elbows. It almost consumed her at that moment, all she could feel was the heavy thickness of it weighing down on her shoulders. The need to removed it heightened as she shifted, groaning. She wiped her oppressive hair into a pony tail with her cold hands, slipping it hastily in place with a yellow rubber band.

Relishing the cool breeze touching her neck, Lily rolled her eyes at her ridiculous antics and pulled open the fridge. Groaning this time came from her middle as she eyed the unique assortment of food inside. A jar of sweet pickles, Velveeta cheese, ketchup, olives, apples, and milk. _Seems James has gone shopping... I really should send him off with a list. Is there even bread?_ Lily's thoughts mulled about as she reached around the fridge to the bread box, happily finding a load of whole wheat bread. Her favorite; extra kiss for James in the morning. Glancing up, Lily's tired eyes found the wall clock precisely reading 2:12 A.M. _This is ridiculous; most common, ordinary — sane, people have been asleep for at least three sodding hours._

Succumbing to her need for nourishment, Lily grabbed two slices of bread, and hounded the fridge for decent condiments for her sandwich. In a small side door Lily found half a pound of fresh smoked turkey. She blessed it and manufactured her sandwich out of pickles, turkey and mustard, which had been hidden behind the milk and ketchup. Dining alone had become a common occurrence to Lily, although not quite as common as bare-minimum sandwiches.

And there she was, in all her glory. Miss Lilea Evans, aged twenty-two eating a not-so-hearty sandwich in the dim lighting of her fiancée's house at 2:20 in the bloody morning. What had become of her life? She'd rarely seen her friends in the last few weeks. Ea was now dating another fellow Lily had yet to meet, by the sound of it they were getting a might bit serious. Remus had been busy hopping from job to job, he'd taken the time to stop by the other night, catching her up on hilarious details of his layoff's (more particularly being the craven expression his boss' faces took once they learned of his lycanthropy).

And that was just the tip of the ice burg, she tried to remember, through her pounding headache, when the last time she had seen Sirius Black; the ever effervescent one of the group. She really needed to cut back on her work hours... possibly hire a few more trustworthy employees, especially since Morlock up and ratted on the whole department then went and knocked it off for himself.

Perhaps she shouldn't hire anymore, what if they follow his example? How was she to know who was completely truthful and who wasn't? And then, what if the Death Eaters really do know everything about the Unspeakables now? Would bringing new members onto the staff create more targets for Voldemort? Perhaps, Voldemort didn't know a thing at all, perhaps Morlock died in good graces, upholding his loyalty to her. She could be fretting for nothing.

Then, blast it, what if Voldemort does know everything? This could be the very last unsatisfying sandwich she ever ate. Lily's shoulders gave as she slouched in her chair, head in hands. Heaving, dry sobs racked her petite body as she tried to hold in all the emotions that had passed through her the last twenty-four hours. Harder as she try, silence evaded her and she sobbed openly onto the wooden table under her.

As her soul gave out under the pressure she became cold with uncertainty and fear. The arms that scooped her up then were a blessing she'd been praying for all day. The strong, warm chest offered her a new canvas to soak with her salty tears. Raining tender kisses over her mussed hair, James held his love tightly in a protective grip. She shook unsuppressed tears out of her emerald eyes, leaning into his warmth and hiding there. For minutes on end he rocked her back and forth, whispering sweet reassurances into her ears. Slowly Lily's sense of loss and helplessness froze away as she looked into the gentle eyes of James and relaxed, sniffing softly with a small smile sliding onto her blotchy face.

"What is it Love, what's got you so riled?" His voice was deep and soothing to her ears. Sighing, she sank further into him before replying.

"Haven't you been briefed? The worst is yet to come— what is this life all about? I try my hardest to protect the innocent, and yet there are still demented people out there trying their darnedest to undo it and... and slaughter them—" Lily chocked back a sob, living deeply in a world so full of hate. "Why?" She found herself pleading to James for the answer. What could possibly be the why of it all?

"Oh bloody hell." James whispered soulfully concerned. He gathered her in his arms further and took her to the couch, leaving the light off. He settled down beside her, bringing his arm around and hugging her tightly. Her sobs had stopped and she looked through the dark into his eyes, those eyes she had memorized by heart. She could read his heart through those eyes most days.

"Lily, my God, I didn't want to believe it as true." Fatigue was evident in him as he raked his hand through his hair, vividly showing his nervousness. "Moody versed me on the situation. He distinctly told me we couldn't verify anything yet. I mean, what if Morlock was good at heart and let out erratic information, turning Voldemort away from you—"

"or _to _us." Lily whispered. "It has to be true, doesn't it? I mean why would they kill Morlock— oh, James, they _would_ kill him if they found he was lying..."

"Yes, but why kill their only source of knowledge, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them — an unspeakable in their hot possession. They could have used any means of getting the information out of him. So possibly... sodding hell, Lily. Voldemort could know—"

"everything." Lily finished for him, horrified.

The two sat in silence watching the clock tick down the seconds of the night. Lily's mind was flooded with ways of escaping from her current position situated in James' arms. Her mind drifted to what exactly Voldemort would know. The positions of all the aurors, the location of their training facility, bearings of classified documents about apprehended Death Eaters, and most importantly; passwords, solved codes, identities...

Lily's heart thundered in her chest. Her world was literally crashing down around her. Sure she had James, she had her friends, she had Petunia— though just in thought— she had her co-workers who would put their lives in front of hers. But, she couldn't help but feel that none of that would matter anymore. It was all crumbling and no one, nothing, could save her. James looked so serene, gazing out into the dark void of the house, through the window and into the rainy street setting. Distant street lights suggested the house's location was in a Muggle vicinity.

Would all this be destroyed once the inevitable came? Her house here with James? The small, quaint houses of the neighbors? The rich green grass of summer? The old park down the road where James and her and spent many days swinging and picnicking— following the romantic examples of James' whims.

He was so sweet to her. Looking back now, she couldn't believe all he had given to her. Most importantly— strength. The courage to move on, open that new door and walk through with your head held high. She'd been a complete mess when her parents had been murdered. Voldemort had sought them out, killed them in cold blood. What was stopping him now from taking such drastic measures on her?

Lily shivered despite being in James' warm, powerful arms. She felt him glance over at her, and gently pull her to him, she buried her head in his chest as he wrapped both his arms around her petite body. The warmth burned away many of Lily's pessimistic thoughts. She could deal with death now if James was holding her this tight, she had already done that once before. What could stop her now?

Breathing slowly, contently, was the dominant sound heard that night as they sat on the couch while the rain spitted against the window. The curtains remained still and the kitchen light held a sense of security for the couple.

"James? I just remembered a thought I was going to tell you." Lily whispered, righting herself in James' arms. He titled his head and set her with a respectful gaze. "I was walking through the Unspeakable section of the Ministry, after just leaving my office and I heard an atypical noise. So, I pulled out my wand, held it at the ready and kept going. Then I realized that the noise was a person—"

"What the sodding hell is someone doing in your section of the ministry that late at night? I've always told you not to work late— there are vile people out there." James snapped at Lily. She rolled her eyes, tired of his protective nature for just this once.

"James, I realize there are twisted individuals out at night, but I'm not a baby and I wish not to be treated as such." Huffing she shoved her legs up to her chest.

"I know, Love, but I can't have you getting yourself killed. It'd ruin me." He kissed her softly on the cheek to seek his point. "Now, Lils, what were you getting at? You're in one piece here tonight, so you must have come out the victor? yeah?" Lily snuggled again, agitation at him gone for the moment.

"There was positively no light in my section of the Ministry so I hid beside a cubical to wait for the unidentified man." James groaned at 'man'. "When I finally saw him, we started dueling, not intensely... actually, it was pretty much rubbish. We both had to dive for our wands." Lily twisted so she was looking at James. "I retrieved mine first and disarmed him. I took him down to management and locked him in a holding cell until they clear him tomorrow. They're running his profile and such to find anything incriminating. Heavens, I sure hope they do."

"Who was it?" His eyes betrayed an uneasy emotion. She bit her lip and glanced at her engagement right. A small diamond set in the middle of two simpler emeralds on a thin gold band. Delicate yet beautiful was the way James had described it. '_I didn't want you to have to carry a huge weight on your finger, Love, I thought this was perfect.'_ And it was truly beautiful. A tear sprung to her eyes as she recalled the memory of the night he had asked her to be his.

They had set off on a backpacking trip through Lyon, Geneva, and then through the Swiss Alps. They had been looking forward to the trip since leaving Hogwarts. Making it easily through western France, they had gazed up at the mighty Alps with such anticipation that they left behind their guide. They had chuckled, teased, held gloved hands, sung off key to keep the silence at bay, and at night, snuggled in their sleeping bags as the snow fell onto their tent.

While making through a higher elevated pass one day during the trip, James had stopped her in the midst of the evening, looking severely shy. So much out of his character that she was intrigued.. The fire was burning brightly and they had filled themselves with numerous s'mores when James had gone down on one knee, completely soaking his jeans.

The question, the ring, her James was the epitome of perfect. His burnt shoe, wet knees, and all. And here they were, successfully home from wandering around the Alps, yet still in significant danger. Perhaps the Alps held more security for them, it'd always be a revered place to them now. A place where they could label a inclination in their relationship. Lily longed for the mountains, their gigantic beauty and long-held wisdom.

"Lily?" James prodded. "Who was it?" She sighed, fatigue almost taking over.

"Some new intern, said he had been working late hours, as I had. But I'm not sure I remember a new intern, and not one in my section. He seems utterly suspicious to me. I'll be keeping a close eye on the lad." James shook his head, running through what she had said. In a way, it proved to justify why he had been there, yet the unanswered question Lily kept asking was still prodding the back of his mind. What was he doing in the Unspeakable wing?

"His name's Jakob Dvorak, just a might out of Hogwarts is what he said, aged nineteen."

"I should have waited for you."

"What?" Lily whipped out of her thoughts with a frown. "No, James. It was my own bloody fault. I should have respected your wishes, Ea's wishes and come home at a decent hour. But blast me, I feel asleep—"

"Dreaming of me, Love?"

"You just wish." Lily giggled, stretching and yawning.

"Oh, sure, like that snog before dinner wasn't record breaking? You were still dazed when I left."

"Was not, you rotting bugger." Lily twisted away from his hands as they came around her setting her rightfully on his lap.

"Shall I daze you more then, Love?" James asked huskily.

"Be my guest. I need a break from reality."

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_And there you have chapter four. mushy gushy isn't it? I did enjoy writing it too, the majority was written around the midnight hour the other night. Please review, tell me what ya think! adios!_

_I'll be sending a heaping plate of warm chocolate chip cookies to all my chapter 3 reviews. I love you all to death. You're amazing, spectacular, fantastic, glorious, wonderful, super-d-duper, and just plain snazzy. thank you! _**HarryluvsMoaningMyrtle, Catchy Pen Name ;), Crystal Kisses, GSCer, NKB, Marauder Megan, and Betsy.** THANK YOU. 

Abarraine.


	5. The Places We Have Come to Fear the Most

Disclaimer: I own nothing—I live in Iowa for heaven's sake! I do own anyone you don't recognize though, like Morlock and Gallagher and all the yummy characters that are yet to come!

_I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I had so much fun writing it. I realize that just reviewing just after you read isn't a huge interest, but I would sincerely appreciate if you just dropped a note telling me _**_'never to write again'_**_ or_**_ 'pack up, leave town, this crap sucks'_**_ or if you_**_ even enjoyed one small word in all the many_**_. I love reviews, can't get enough of them, so please, hand out a few. GRACIAS. oh, and thanks for reading that paragraph. ;)_

**I'd like to make a correction that was pointed out to me in the 2nd chapter: When i said Lily was going home from downtown London to Birmingham -- I was suggesting that she would apparate. Hopefully that clears things up a bit.**

This chapter is basically a filler to show daily life. I was going to make it longer, but that would mean you all would have to wait longer, and right now, I hold 3 jobs, 5 college courses, government, and soccer on my plate. my time is limited. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Please Review, gives me hope! Abarraine. 28 April 2006.

X X X X

_"What the bloody hell—" and the frivolous emerald stream of light made sure that man from Halesworth never swore again._

X X X X

"Honey, did you want ham or turkey? Yes, yes, just a moment, Avarie. Dear? Turkey?" Monroe Gallagher leaned over the counter to pour his seven year old daughter's milk. She had bright hazel eyes and soft strawberry blond hair that shimmered when the sun caught it. She had her mother's lips and nose, but her father's strong chin and powerful gaze.

"Abbie, Abarraine dear, turkey?" Monroe shouted out to his wife in the bathroom just off the kitchen. In the commotion to send his daughter off to primary school, make his wife's lunch, and collect all his work, they always seemed to be running, shouting, and occasionally snarling. However, Monroe wasn't one to complain. After twenty-three years of marriage to one resplendent and sensational Abarraine Bones-Gallagher, he wouldn't complain worth anything at all.

Avarie Clare had been an unplanned surprise. As Head Auror, Monroe's life was unstable. They were bound to move at least once a year, lately it had been more than that with the recent rise of the Wizarding world's newest serial killer: Voldemort. Monroe and Abbie hadn't planned on submitting a child to that kind of fast paced, questionable life. But now that Avarie was there, sitting just across the counter from him, he couldn't for the life of him understand why they had waited so terribly long. In the early years, there had been a span of time where the Auror's were more or less irrelevant in society. Everything was calm— it was almost unrealistic.

Abarraine sold reality. And today, she had a big client from Australia coming to tour one of the Potter's old mansions. Her commissions from the mansion alone would cover Avery's year of schooling, which was at the prestigious McAlister primary schooling of Wizardy and Witchcraft. She was dolling herself up in the bathroom, trying to cover her newly developed wrinkles. Not all were from nature. She wouldn't tell Monroe this, but she was terrified. Terrified of the way life was bound to change. Every day she read the papers that he brought home as he showered. She knew of the murders, the vicious, satanic murders. She knew of Monroe's connection and she feared for his life. The love of her life was a sitting duck— granted he was armed with over forty years of self defense; physical and spell training.

The wrinkles were a sign of her creased forehead's worry for her husband. And the thought of a catastrophe on her family. Little Avarie was well guarded each and every day, but threats were a mother's death. She applied her pale rose lip stick and puffed her hair. Staring into the mirror, she listened to her loves rattle off the number tables of addition. His gruff voice posing questions of feasible answer to the bright seven-year-old. Avarie's laugh was contagious; pure and naive.

"Monroe, I told you last night I was eating lunch with the client. You'll be needing the bologna, I suppose?" Abarraine laid a hand gently on Monroe's arm, unconsciously still loving the feel of his warm body. Just one more thing to reassure her of his safety.

"Damn, I alread—"

"Monny. Avarie." Abarraine reprimanded in a clipped tone.

"Aves, pumpkin, don't repeat that."

"hmm? Yes, pop." Avarie twisted in her seat and hopped down off her stool to grab her school bag. "Daddy? Are we gonna play 'xploding snaps tonight?" Her big eyes gazed at her father, tall and strong. If a child were to hold their father in esteem, Monroe was the epitome. He was powerful and gentle. An endearing paradox that Avarie had twisted around her littlest finger.

"Count on it Babes. Is Morgan here? I believe I see the limo in the drive. Come give mums and dad a hug." The morning went rather smoothly. An average Pureblood wizarding family relishing in the displays of affection shown. The world hadn't stopped turning just yet.

X X X X

"Jeremy, the fee's three sickles, try to remember that, eh?"

"Whatever Lily. If I have to pay you for whipping my arse, then you have to pay me when I whip yours." Lily's eyes twinkled.

"And you expect to make money that way, Jer? My, your monetary funds must be higher than I first presumed." Lily twisted behind a rather pathetic barrier which seemed to do it's job as she shot off another aggressive spell at her dueling partner.

"Oh, hardy har har, Lily. I could go into anything from that last comment." Jeremy rolled violently out of an oncoming hex and staggered to his feet only to be hit with another hex, suddenly turning his hair a deep aqua.

"Eff that Lily." Jeremy cursed as he twisted his bangs in his left hand, analyzing the atrocious color. He then skipped over a miscellaneous box and dove to the ground behind a dumpster all the while firing off several hexes into Lily's near vicinity which changed remarkably as she sprinted to the other side of the room, occasionally rolling and weaving.

"Oy, quit being narcissistic and bloody well hit me, Jeremy!" Lily jibbed. Then she cursed as her foot became lodged to the ground. "Bugger, now I bloody owe you three sickles." Lily twisted frantically in her position, as Jeremy stalked closer to her planted form, honoring their dueling code of never double hitting when the person is unable to defend. In her efforts to get away, she muttered several unheard spells and suddenly, extremely pleased with herself, vaulted behind the nearest dumpster. Surprising Jeremy into action.

"Trucatio!" The violet laser of light connected soundly with Lily's right shoulder, making her gasp, before falling to the ground in mid leap.

"Lily! God—" Jeremy's heart sped up as he ran to Lily. He hadn't meant to perform a real spell. She had just shocked the hell out of him when she somehow undid his hex. She was getting too advanced for him.

"It's alright, Jer. Just a small nick." Lily huffed, gazing at the pool of blood now growing on the floor. "But really, the cutting spell? Can't you be a bit less original? Didn't you try and hit me with that one just a week ago?

"Shi—"

"Jeremy, just help me up." Lily ordered, tired of his paralyzed empathetic stare. Jeremy had the tendency to run through how a problem occurred before fixing the said problem. And in this case, staring at a grimacing Lily had put him into an analytical stupor. Lily was most accustomed to it. There are at least two types of people in this world: those who take action, and those who think about taking action. Lily was the first, and Jeremy the second.

As Jeremy tended to Lily, heaving her lithe bleeding body off the floor and encircling her waist with his brawny arm, Monroe Gallagher was kissing his wife of twenty-three glorious years goodbye and apparating to the old Phone Booth on Oxford Street.

X X X X

"James, just thought I'd come by, as I am one of immense maturity, to inform you that your fiancée is again becoming acquainted with the infirmary." Caedom Schipper leaned into James' office with a sympathetic frown.

James, however prone to injury Lily was, never could quite control the increase his heart rate jumped when he heard those words. Suddenly he was stalking across the room to meet with Schipper. He looked a might sight then, strong, powerful gaze full of immeasurable worry for his love. His hands forcefully made into fists, the clenching fingernails threatening to cut into his calloused palm. His muscular stature heaving as he subconsciously shook a bit with fear. And his always happy-go-lucky smile was painfully knocked off his face and replaced with a thin, unaccommodating line.

Schipper moved to allow Potter to pass before falling into step beside him. The two men created an ambiance in the hall forcing people to watch as they passed. These were two of the Ministry's greatest Aurors. The power they evoked was nare a thought to them in their daily lives. They thought no more of themselves than others, however, in their stance, you could tell they were trained for commanding and illustrious things. And thus, they were held in high regard.

"She was training with Draeger." James huffed, fixing his erratic gaze on a stout woman groping through her purse near the far elevator. "I'm not sure what the extent of her injuries are, but Draeger was messy."

"That's a completely optimistic thing to tell me Schipper. Appreciate it. I really do." James muttered, his voice barely heightening in pitch due to his fears. His pace quickened as he pictured his Lily "messy" and in pain. She was always the tough one, both mentally and physically. Her strength, he knew, came from years of oppression and degradation. She had to find a way to live in two societies that bashed her at every turn. James started to grin, despite his fear, when he recalled all the ways Lily had lived up to her strength.

Just entering the Wizarding world. Voicing her discomforts to others, rather than selfishly holding them inside, just waiting for the pending burst. She stood tall to "mudblood" and delved heartedly into her studies just too keep up. He knew it was hard for her. But she hid it well enough. He couldn't imagine coming into a new society and not knowing anything, absolutely nothing at all. It was like walking through Spain. Words, signs, even currency was almost unattainable knowledge to a small, quaint eleven-year-old girl.

In third year he remembered her pounding frantically on the portrait opening as Filch sped to stop her from entering much past curfew. The thought of being out late made James respect Lily, not any more an introverted bookworm, but someone worth knowing. He remembered the way her eyes glowed when Malfoy snarled and she threw back an even cruller intellectual, humiliating word that left him in a torpor. He remember her volunteering to handle the "deranged" Hippogriffs when no one else would in Care of Magical Creatures. He remembered the way she held her head high as she walked down the aisle at Petunia's wedding and grinned despite the directed hatred she was undoubtedly receiving. He remembered how she had blown that Death Eater away with a curse she had created weeks before, but never been tried. Its success showed initiative and power.

Lily Evans was strong; strong-willed, quick-witted, and stubborn. There was no way he should be this worried about her, he tried to reason with himself. But a large portion of his heart always hurt when she wasn't with him, even when he knew she was safe.

She was always falling, always tripping, always smashing into things. She claimed it was a lack of balance. He knew it was because she just had one too many things flowing through her beautiful head simultaneously.

Lily was his epitome of multi-talented. She could chug her coffee while reading the mail and cooking James his eggs, sunny-side-up, all the while singing to the newest pop song on her radio and pouring shield hexes throughout the kitchen to keep Sirius from destroying anything of value. Like James' own wand, for instance. That was a fearful day.

She could take apart spells, she could delve into their layers and reform them. She could take your primary levitating spell and rework it to only fit a certain element in a person; be it their age, ethnic background, or, as she was working on now, the amount of power they held inside them.

She could strip spells and find why they issued from the wand purple or rose colored. She could explain why one had to be spiraled while the other had a harsh undercut when preformed. She even stripped away all the frivolous words within a spell and left you with the harshest impact.

Lily was exceptionally intelligent. Alone she had transfigured over eighty spells. Diligently she'd work, rattle off hexes and charms to undo layers. Explosions would emit — she almost lost her wand arm once when a spell imploded. He remembered her words when she'd regained consciousness: "What the hell was I thinking. To have two 'noxes' that could overpower one another. I was bloody asking for a prosthetic limb. God James... this hurts."

And there she was, seemingly trying to snuggle into the unaccommodating hospital bed. Well, snuggle was a very forgiving term at the moment because it looked as if she wasn't pliable enough to even squirm. Stiff as a board she sat, frowning, next to the cheeky Jeremy Draeger. Whom James had very little patience or amity for.

"James, welcome to my dominion." Lily quirked, trying to play down the situation. But James, he was nowhere near a fool which Lily knew. The effect: he read her eyes, she gave it her all to play actress and then the two smiled at one another.

"She'll be ready to leave Thursday noon—" The head healer began, only to be rudely cut off by the one injured female.

"I will not. I'm perfectly capable to leave right now, Saras, see." Lily then attempted to climb off the bed, which, in her eyes, seemed to grow the size of Britain. Her vision swirled due to the excruciating pain in her right shoulder, the bone having been severed along with her delicate skin. She trembled slightly when she felt James' calloused hand on her left forearm, steadying her movements. She leaned into his arm, dying just a little bit for his warmth.

"Alright, but Wednesday at the latest." Lily muttered, eyes still closed. James had moved to sit on her bed and pulled her towards him at an angle so as not to cause her more pain. Her breathing became deeper as her head founds it's normal position on his strong, broad chest. His chest reverberated his calming heart beat, lulling her out of her pain and into peace. As she lived in the world of James, she faintly heard Healer Saras, James, and Jeremy speaking about her.

"What happened?" That was James. She could feel his voice resonating.

"She split her right shoulder. The bone was completely severed, it's lucky the hex wasn't that strong or Lily—"

"Hex?" James hissed. No doubt was he glaring opening at Jeremy. For some reason unbeknownst to Lily, James had never liked Draeger.

"Er—well, we were—uh—" Was James that domineering? Lily wondered as she felt his arms tighten around her. God, was he soothing.

"What Draeger? Can't find something that's not bloody incriminating of you? Working through a way to blame this on Lily." James' voice was cold. Lily rolled her eyes behind her lids and elbowed James in the gut gently, trying to tell him that was uncalled for. Granted it was sweet – her left brain was currently melting due to his amount of evident love, but her right side continued with its soliloquy of the accident being half her fault.

It takes two to duel and they both were heavily competing. And sometimes – most times – slips occur. It's pure habit of nature. Sure, Jeremy was the sort to jump the gun and be found with an immense lack of self discipline and common sense, but he was a great dueler. Not too proficient in aim, but his mouth was quick to fire. Too bad his cons were too big of factors to allow him into the Auror's Elite, which James was a member.

Lily could feel James' eyes on her as she stopped jabbing him. As much as she longed to open her eyes and defend Jeremy, she couldn't for the life of her force the weight off her eyelids. She murmured as he began drawing circles on her lower back.

Jeremy was speaking again when Lily turned her focus off of the designs James was making.

"... her sudden movement when I had planted her with the foot-locker hex surprised me enough to just throw out any random hex."

"Mr. Draeger. Please try to remember that you train with co-workers. Injuries should never occur. I've enough to deal with with the battle-worn Aurors, I don't have time for those merely training. Now here me out, son, we're fighting a war. Capture a handle on your emotions." Madame Saras reprimanded.

James' hands seemed to dance along her spine, causing Lily to shiver in his grasp.

"Yes, Ma'am, sorry." Jeremy stated plainly.

"Draeger. We'll have words later." James' gruff voice reassured Jeremy in an ominous way.

"Come. She needs sleep."

XXX

"G'mornin' Mr. Gallagher. Wand please." The quiet ministry worker confronted Monroe at the wand checking station in the Ministry.

"Yes. It is quite lovely. Trees starting to bud." He responded as she went about the habitual task of measuring and de-spelling his wand.

"This is true." She replied. She gazed up at Gallagher's rough face and smiled brightly before turning to retrieve his daily ministry post. "Hardly realize that the world's haphazard at the moment."

"hmm." People were milling about, heading to their routine work places. Several had briefcases, others rolls of parchment. All had name tags and their department labeled on their breast pocket. The majority were men.

"Here's your post, sir."

"Thank you kindly. Enjoy your day Daniella." And he strode away with a slight spring in his step. That is, until he was confronted on the third floor with the most ominous news he could have imagined.

Halesworth was under attack.

And no one was there.

No Unspeakable had mentioned it...

X X X X

I know... a bit elusive. Don't worry, if you have questions: ASK! but i will be trying to pull things together more in the following chapter.

thanks for reading.

enjoy your day

please review?


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